London Collections showcases Britain’s best menswear designers

 

view gallery VIEW GALLERY
Suggested Topics

The final day of the inaugural London Collections: Men yesterday was a sublime mix of established stalwarts and bright young things with a canny eye on the commercial side.

An early morning wake up call came courtesy of JW Anderson takes pleasure in presenting collections that are “slightly off” and rib-knit flared trousers with matching jumpers and cardigans in beige and lilac were precisely that. Sheer organza tank tops, trousers and shirts plastered with flowers were interspersed with pinstripe polo shirts and trousers. All came served with flatform sandals, black head scarves and clutch bags - a directional look perhaps, but one which will surely be snapped up by the designer's growing following.

Margaret Howell showed a signature selection of lightweight workwear and summer tailoring in a palette of navy, grey and white with hints of burnt orange and khaki. Crisp white linen T-shirts and a rubberised anorak were modern classics and eminently wearable highlights from a designer who may not surprise but never disappoints.

Richard Nicoll's first foray into menswear showed an assured touch, perhaps gained through the designer's popular collections for Fred Perry. The references here were shared with the mod favourite label - bomber jackets and shorts in butter soft leather and cotton piqué reflected the designer's signature sportswear aesthetic. Intarsia blocks of colour, graphic lines and a neat silhouette created an example of a relaxed modern man all rendered in a spectrum of fresh blues, greys and white with enlivening flashes of yellow.

Enfants terrible Meadham Kirchhoff's presentation was an immersive experience: inviting voyeurs into a derelict squat filled with heady blooms, stuffed toys and the decaying detritus from one hell of a party. Models lounged around on broken cot beds in lurex skull caps and floral silk masks with intricately embellished goggles built in. The backs of cable knit jumpers were cropped to the shoulder blades and blue and fuchsia crystal laden kaftans were evocative of fragile souls dropping out in India after one too many Full Moon Party, but without any hint of a bourgeois gap yah-er.

Pringle of Scotland's signature argyle knits were present and correct in Alaistair Carr's last collection for the brand. Those familiar diamonds were wrought in lightweight cashmere and silk knits in heather and mustard. Knitwear was unsurprisingly a strong part of the collection, thanks also to optical honeycomb intarsia, and a playful interpretation of the house's classic twin sets resulted in knitted tops paired with matching printed shorts. Carr seemed to have hit his stride and had fun with the house's signatures, and it will certainly be interesting to see his next step.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Life & Style blogs

Where do most millionaires live in the UK?

Plus lateral thinking and living on London's waterways

Wandsworth tops aspiring young professionals hotspot list

Other popular areas include Didsbury, Clifton in Bristol, central Cambridge and West Bridgford

Christian GPs and the morning after pill: Much needed clarification

Doctors are allowed to have personal beliefs, just as long as these beliefs do not interfere with th...

       

ES Rentals

    Day In a Page

    National archives: Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

    Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

    Newly unearthed papers reveal a shocking extra dimension to the constitutional crisis over monarch’s abdication
    Sent down at the Old Bailey: A tour of the world's most famous court

    Sent down at the Old Bailey

    A tour of the world's most famous court
    Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

    Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

    The Hangover actor Zach Galifianakis’s date for his movie premieres isn’t arm candy  – it’s his 87-year-old friend who he saved from homelessness
    British football scores an own goal

    British football scores an own goal

    Many managers barely survive a year in post. Martin Baker talks to experts who make a case for clubs using forensic business skills to find the best staff
    James Lawton: Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again

    James Lawton

    Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again
    Dylan Hartley: Northampton have spent the season proving all our critics wrong

    Dylan Hartley talks tough

    Northampton have spent the season proving all our critics wrong
    Watch out Watford: Here comes the secretive Bilderberg Group

    Watch out Watford: Here comes the secretive Bilderberg Group

    A meeting of global power brokers in a Hertfordshire hotel is exciting conspiracy theorists, but what are they really about?
    'The ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system': Microsoft finally unveils its Xbox ONE console

    'The ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system'

    Microsoft finally unveils its Xbox ONE console
    Plenty of Fish dating site founder pulls 'Intimate Encounters' option to ward off sleazy men

    Plenty of sleaze

    Dating website pulls intimate 'hook-up' section to curb harassment
    Inferno author Dan Brown 'honoured' to be invited to join the Freemasons

    The Freemasons’ Code

    Dan Brown reveals the message that told him door to the lodge is open
    Not secure any more: G4S boss heads for exit at last

    Not secure any more: G4S boss heads for exit at last

    Nick Buckles survived the Olympics débâcle and a £5bn bid fiasco but a profit warning finally triggered his downfall
    How to say ‘I’m a sellout’: Tumblr’s David Karp’s message of reassurance to his staff sounded very familiar

    How to say ‘I’m a sellout’

    Tumblr’s David Karp’s message of reassurance to his staff sounded very familiar
    Why clubs are keen to take a stand

    Why clubs are keen to take a stand

    There's a real desire around the grounds for safe standing. But will the authorities listen?
    In the end the fans decided Tony Pulis had made a pig's ear of the job at Stoke City

    In the end the fans decided Tony Pulis had made a pig's ear of the job at Stoke City

    Disillusion with a siege mentality and negative playing style made change inevitable
    James Lawton: The James Hunt I knew is the subject of a new F1 movie

    James Lawton: The James Hunt I knew is the subject of a new F1 movie

    British driver was fascinating man whose epic duel with Niki Lauda in 1976 was typical of an era of glamour and glory – but also the ever-present threat of death